Chapter 18-- Captured!

Robyn could now add “wounded and riding on the back of Agent Chaplen’s horse” to her list of things she never wanted to do again. She had regained consciousness with a shoulder on fire and Agent Chaplen behind her. Not fun in the least. She now hung upside-down in front of the saddle on the poor horse’s neck. She hoped Midnight and Patriot were okay. Before she had blacked out, the dog seemed alright and the horse was guarding General Washington. She had known she could rely on them. They would get the general to safety, and she would figure something out. Oh, Ben was going to kill her.
~~~~~
The boy was awake. Good. “It would seem, boy, that you are finally my prisoner. I must say, our dance has been an interesting one. But, as you can see, I win.”
He expected a smart alec retort, but all the boy did was groan and ask, “Did General Washington get away?” He winced and fell silent.
Chaplen considered in making the Shadow Fox more miserable than he already was by telling him the general was dead, but decided on the truth. “He did, thanks to your infernal horse.”
The boy sighed. “Good.”
His voice did not exceed a whisper, and the agent guessed he was in considerable pain. He glanced back. Five other men and Captain Long were cantering to join him. He slowed his horse and waited.
When he pulled his horse alone side Chaplen, Long looked at him with worry filled eyes. “We failed.”
“Not completely. I have this nuisance in my grasp, now.”
“If you had kept him in the city, Washington would be dead.” Long shifted slightly. Somehow, he had managed to keep all accusation out of his voice, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
The agent shrugged. “That is Howe’s problem, not mine.”
“He’ll still be angry. He did tell you—“
“I am not under his command. I receive commands from the king and the king alone. Not some silly general.”
The Shadow Fox snickered at the end of Chaplen’s rant. He kneed the boy’s unhurt shoulder. “Silence.”
Long glanced back at his men. All of them were nursing injured heads, arms, and torsos. “My men need rest. Let’s stop here.”
Chaplen decided he would rest here as well. He was tired from a long day of looking for the boy and then chasing him down. He dismounted his horse. Gently, he eased the Shadow Fox off his horse and carefully carried him over to the fire the men were building. He honestly didn’t know why he didn’t just rip the boy’s hood off then and there. It didn’t seem right, for some reason. He had not won from a clever trap or scheme of his design. The boy had been distracted, and he had shot him. He had not captured him by displaying a superior mind. That was his problem. He stilled wanted to figure out the boy’s identity for himself.
He had a feeling he had come across him without the Shadow Fox’s guise many times, but couldn’t figure out who he was. He glanced down to see those black eyes watching him from under the hood. He had seen those eyes somewhere else, but he just couldn’t place it. The boy, he knew for certain, was in some way connected to the Rivers, but how?
He could feel those eyes on him, so he looked down. The boy smiled. “Are you going to keep holding me like a child, Agent Chaplen, or are you going to put me down?”
There was a collective chuckle from around the now blazing fire. He wondered how long he had stood there with the boy in his arms, staring into space. The soldiers had all been smirking at him too, and the boy’s weary black eyes studying him.
He set the boy down. “You are a child.”
He winced as his shoulder came to rest. “Who beat you time and time again.” He smiled weakly.
Chaplen smirked. “I have you now, my little fox.”
The Shadow Fox sighed, the one black eye the agent could see glittering mischievously. “I’ve never had to shoot you when you weren’t looking to beat you. I just kept on out-foxing you.”
The man turned away, trying not to let the boy see that he knew he was right. It was infuriating. Never before had he had to stoop to underhanded means as shooting his opponent when he was not looking. Curse that boy!

----
Poor Chaplen. He wants so bad to win by figuring out Robyn's identity, but he just can't. Oh, well. Will he take his chance to do it now, even though it's not by superior mind-powah? Hm....